Rescuing Luna

It was three months after Stella went to the "Rainbow Bridge". My Jack Russell Terrier, the love of my life. My everything. The grief was paralyzing, awful. I thought how could anyone go through this again!? "I never want another dog". Then a mere 12 weeks later I found myself on "Petfinder.com" looking at little faces needing a forever home. Then there she was..... OMG!! My body got all warm, I could hear my heart beat and it felt as though it was coming right out of my chest! I called my husband and exclaimed "I found her! I found her!" "Found who?" he said. Our new dog, our new baby. A beautiful black and white Border Collie.

She could have been in NYC but just happened to be 80 miles north of me here near Seattle. I immediately called the appropriate number, filled out the paper work and waited impatiently until someone returned my call.

Her name was Donnie (soon to be Luna after Stella Luna) She was 8 months old and found at 8 weeks old in Caldwell Idaho. She was a smart, eager to learn, kind of shy little girl. The gal that ran this particular Rescue referred to her as a "clean slate". There were many requests for Donnie. But later after Luna was mine, Eileen (who runs the rescue) said to me that she knew "Donnie" would be mine after our first conversation on the phone. In fact she said after the first 90 seconds!

Every year my husband leaves for 21 days to fly fish up north in Canada. Off the grid. It was during this time that I made the 80 mile trek to pick up my new baby. I cried all the way up there wondering if I was doing the "right thing". I was talking out loud to Stella and to God. I was so so scared. I arrived and Eileen was in a hurry. I quickly wrote her a check, grabbed some food, a collar and leash and "Donnie" was in my car and I was driving down her driveway. Donnie was looking back the whole time watching her home get smaller and smaller. As I turned onto the road home, she started to cry, kind of whimper. That's when I started to talk to her. I was calling her "Donnieluna" I never stopped talking, all the way home. Except for maybe when the tears came back. Not because I was wondering if I had done the "right thing" But because I knew for an absolute fact that I had done the "right thing". I kept shortening her name (Donluna etc) until I was only saying "Luna". What a smart little girl.

I had read that when you bring a new dog into your home you should first walk around your neighborhood. So... before we went in the house we walked up and down the roads right in my hood. Then down the driveway and into the house. She sniffed all floors, furniture, blankets, and beds. I explained to her that those smells were probably Stella. I told her Stella would always be with us. But that she could make this her home now. She was HOME.